12.17.2010

Warmest greetings from the Barnetts. We, like many, love this time of year and we hope that this season is blessing you with lots of fun and family-time, and, of course, anticipating the memory of Jesus’ incarnation - God’s most generous and merciful gift to us.

Desperate for something interesting to share in this year’s Christmas letter – we decided to have another baby and are pleased to announce that we are expecting yet another who should arrive just around the end of the school year. What a fortuitous piece of timing that is – no? Not exactly a coincidence. Of course, with Facebook, this is old news for most of you. Nevertheless, we are very excited to welcome another little Barnett to our happy family.

Meanwhile, the basic format of Barnett life is very similar to what it has been like. We continue to be blessed and are truly grateful that Melissa is able to stay home with our kids. We’re not exactly sure how it works – it just somehow does and God is good. She also continues to tutor Kai, now a senior in high school (she’ll be a free agent next year if you know anyone who needs a good tutor…) I know Melissa is really proud of how Kai has grown over the course of her time working with him. Motherhood continues to be the highlight of her day. The trio of mommy, Caleb and Gracie can be found all over Ventura county on any given day – and home for naptime no less! Melissa remains keenly aware of how blessed she is to have a supportive and fun community of mommy-friends she has made over the years. Although she denied it until yesterday, Eminent Baby #3 has slowed Melissa down a little bit – tiredness and unending hunger are constant themes. While excited to return to School Counseling someday when the time in right – right now, there could be no higher calling or more fulfilling way to spend each day than being a mom to our kids.

Caleb and Gracie are crazy and fun. Most of the time they play very well together. Check out Melissa’s videos on Facebook for some of their adventures and exploits. Highlights are sword duels, wearing six pairs of eye-wear at once, stomp-rocket fun, blocks, owl hunts, bed bouncing, dancing, playing Dr. John Caleb Barnett MD, painting, cardboard box creations, cooking, reading, and, of course, eating. Caleb and Gracie still love Kindermusik class, First 5, and a little “play-school” mini-co-op with a few friends. Our kids teach us so much and keep us so humble. They themselves are a lesson in gentleness, trust, forgiveness, and joy. Of course, they can be selfish and disobedient too, but we don’t talk about that in Christmas letters now, do we…☺

Teaching continues to be a fulfilling vocation for me. This has been a good year at the Visual Arts & Design Academy, with great students, fellow teachers and parents, and the Academy feels grounded after some transitions. Of course, it is education, so things are always changing, but we just keep going, knowing we are doing something important by creating an engaging and relevant high school education for artists and creatives in the program. It’s great to have a job – and even better to have one you enjoy, but the real highlight of my day is coming home, as you can imagine. The fun and joy and lightness of one’s children bring deliver immediate and much needed perspective to the day’s busyness and troubles. Thank God for them. Speaking of God, we continue to seek Him at our church, the Ventura Vineyard. I’m excited to be starting a new group, with some familiar guys, but this time, with more of a focus on discipleship and the pursuit of a Jesus-like life in all spheres of our daily lives.

Well, we certainly hope that you and your families are doing well and will do well in the year ahead. As always, we wish for you, a year of abiding peace and joy – no matter the circumstances.

I love "Desperate for something interesting to share" ...that is a new one for getting pregnant. Congratulations. You have an absolutely beautiful family. And I am so happy that Melissa is able to be a stay home mom. I think it is a very rewarding endeavor...one with no regrets. Blessings to all of you.Pam Adair